1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus, an application startup management method, and a storage medium storing control program therefor.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, an image processing apparatus called a multifunctional peripheral device that includes functions of respective devices such as a printer, a copier, a facsimile, and a scanner, within a single body is known.
Applications corresponding to the respective devices such as a printer, a copier, a facsimile, and a scanner have been installed into a conventional multifunctional peripheral device beforehand, and resources (memory etc.) sufficient to operate these applications have been provided.
However, the applications installed into the conventional multifunctional peripheral device are insufficient to meet needs of each client, such as to add a new function by combining a printer and a facsimile. Therefore, a multifunctional peripheral device in recent years realizes a need of client by allowing to install a new application as an option according to a need of client and to operate the application.
However, when operating a newly installed application, the memory capacity, which is sufficient to operate the preinstalled applications, may become insufficient.
Japanese laid-open patent publication (Kokai) No. 2006-285871 (JP2006-285871A) discloses a technique that displays a warning or an error message in order to avoid an error due to memory shortage when the maximum memory usage of the application that is going to start is larger than the available memory capacity.
Further, there are some techniques for using larger number of built-in applications.
Japanese laid-open patent publication (Kokai) No. 2003-15892 (JP2003-15892A) discloses a technique that classifies applications into a memory-resident type and a transient type and that starts an application that receives a startup request after forcefully terminating a transient type application when the memory capacity is insufficient.
Moreover, Japanese laid-open patent publication (Kokai) No. 2007-279792 (JP2007-279792A) discloses a technique that accumulates frequency of use for time periods of a plurality of applications installed into the multifunctional peripheral device and that starts a frequently-used application and stops an infrequently-used application for each time period.
However, since the prior art mentioned above requires to classify applications into the memory-resident type and the transient type beforehand, or to accumulate frequency of use by executing applications in a predetermined time, there is a problem of increasing burden on a user.
Further, since the above-mentioned prior arts do not consider a using condition of an application by a user, there is a problem that the application stops even if the user is using the application.